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1958 Martin 000-18

$5,900​

 

 

Here is a great sounding 1958 Martin 000-18 in honest “player condition” with the important structural work already done.

 

This is not a mint-condition closet queen, but it is a very sound, lightweight, great playing 1950’s Martin 000-18 with exactly the tone you hope for from this era.

 

Most importantly, there are zero top cracks and no back cracks.  There are side cracks, but they have been cleanly and professionally repaired and are stable.  The guitar is structurally very sound, with all original bracing intact and tight.

 

The top has NO overspray.  The back and sides have light overspray, and the neck and headstock have been professionally oversprayed as well.  The overspray work was done cleanly and does not distract from the guitar.  This one has the look and feel of a guitar that has been played and maintained, not abused.

 

The guitar retains its original Brazilian rosewood bridge and original thin maple bridgeplate, which is exactly what you want to see on a 1950’s 000-18.  The bridge has not been replaced, and the original bridgeplate is still intact.  These are important details, in my opinion, because they are a big part of why these 1950’s Martins are so responsive and lively.

 

This 000-18 has had a professional neck reset and a full refret with correct size and material fretwire. The work was done properly, and the guitar now plays beautifully with low action, minimal relief, and plenty of saddle.

 

12th fret action measures .095" on the bass side and .080" on the treble side.

 

Neck relief measures approximately .005", and the guitar plays cleanly up and down the neck.  The saddle is still tall, so there is room to lower the action further if desired.  Personally, I would leave it right where it is because it plays comfortably and still has good volume and response.

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Tone-wise, this guitar has the prototypical 1950’s Martin 000-18 sound.  It is rich, full, focused, dry, and woody, with excellent note separation and a very balanced response across the strings. It has the warmth and depth you expect from old mahogany, but it still has plenty of clarity and definition.

 

This is a lightweight guitar, and you can feel that immediately when you pick it up.  It is very responsive and has that broken-in, vintage Martin feel that is hard to replicate in newer guitars.  It works beautifully as a fingerstyle guitar, but it also has more than enough power and focus for flatpicking.

 

Again, this is a player-condition guitar, so it has the cosmetic evidence you would expect from a 1958 Martin that has been used over the years.  But the important structural details are excellent: no top cracks, no back cracks, original Brazilian bridge, original thin maple bridgeplate, original tight bracing, professional neck reset, full refret, low action, and great tone.​

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All TERMS OF SALE apply.

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